Golf scoring device



16, 1930. SWARTHOUT 1,785,288"? GOLF SCORING DEVICE Filed-April 16, 1928 Patented Dec. 16, 1930 PATENT OFFICE JAMES E. SWARTHOUT, OI ELMIRA, NEW YORK SCORING DEVICE Application filed April is,

This invention relates to game counters, and more especially to that class of counters or scoring devices particularly adapted to be used by golfers in keepin an accurate record of the strokes taken by t e players in negotiating the various holes in a golf link and registering the progress of the match. The objects of the invention are: First, to provide a device of the character above indicated which iscapable of having at all times in plain vision and noted with a single lance the individual score of each of two or our players as to the number of strokes taken on a ole being played, the total numher of strokes of medal lay taken by' each player for the number 0 holes played, and

the number of holes a player or a air in a foursome are up or down in match p ay.

Second, to provide a device of the character referred to in which the several registering elements comprising the device can be easily,

quickly and accurately adjusted by a player with a minimum number of operations, and

after each adjustment the last recordin posi- 'tion is incapable of being disturbed in any wa Y T hird, to construct, arrange and connect the several registering elements so that a scoring device having all the functions above indicated is capable of being reduced to a minimum of parts, weight and size, easily stam ed out or manufactured and assembled at a ow cost and capable of being attached to and carried by the wrist of a player without in an way mterferin with the playing ability 0 the golfer or juste positions of the several scoring ele= "ments.

Fourth, other objects vand advantages of the improved counter will appear from the detailed description of the construction, arrangement and cooperation of the several parts, mode of assem ling and using the same to be presently disclosed.

The invention consists of structural char acteristics and relative arrangement of elements which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the ap nded claim.

n the one sheetof drawings, in'which simisturbing the ad- 1928. Serial No. 270,889.

ilar reference characters indicate the same parts in the several fi res,

Figure 1 is a top p an view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan or reverse side from that shown in Figure 1;

' Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the relation of the several registering disks of the device;

' Figure 4 is a plan view of the bottom plate with its attached registering disks;

Figure 5 is a side or end elevation of the counter;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the top or face plate with its attached registering disks removed;

Figures 7 and 8 are top plan views of the regstering disks.

eferring to'the drawings, 10 is a substantially square-shaped top or face plate which is provided at the ends of its diagonals or corners with c'ircular-sha ed ends 11 and sight openings or square-s aped notches 12 and pin receiving holes 13, as clearl shown in Figure 6. At the ends of the diameters of the top or face plate 10 are also provided square-shaped notches or sight openings 14, and at the center of the face plate 10 is formed a hole 15 for purposes to be presently described.

The circular-shaped ends 11 in proximity to the openings 13 are marked or provided with numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4 to identify the players who are competing and playing the match around the links.

Encircling the central hole 15 and marked on top of the face plate 10 are numbers 0 and 10 and two series of numbers from 1 to 9, arranged as shown, for the purpose of registering the score of the number of holes Won or match play of two playersor sides of a foursome.

' Superimposed and pivotally mounted by means of a short pin 16 fastened in the hole 15 is a rotatable disk 17 see Figure 1, which has its periphery serrated and a single squaresha ed notch 18 so disposed as to register wit the circularly arranged numbers on top of the face plate 10 for scoring the holes won. Said disk 17 is provided on its top surface with the words We and They, as indicated, and is capable of being rotated clockwise or counter clock-wise to permit the notch 18 to move away or towards the in either direction, as will be readily understood.

Pivoted to the top or face plate and adjacent to each of the sight openings 14 is provided a movable pointer 19, as shown in Figure 1, for purposes to be hereinafter described.

Connected with and rotatably supported on the under side of each end 11 of the face plate 10 by means of "short pins passing through openings 13 is a small circular flat disk 21 with a circular opening 22 to receive pin 20 and having the numbers 1 to 10, as shown in Figure 8, and said disks 21 have the peripheries serrated and are so arranged that the different numbers on each disk 21 can be easily and quickly made to register with the sight opening 12, as illustrated in Figure 1, and capable of registering progressively the number of strokes each player makes on a hole being played.

23, 23 are disks secured to the under side of said top or face plate 10 and rotatably mounted by any suitable short pins fixed in the holes 24, 24 on a diameter of said face plate 10 and in line with the center of said sight openings 14, 14, as shown in Figure 6. Each of the disks 23', as shown in Figure 7, is also serrated in its periphery and provided with numbers or indices from 1 to. 100, preferably spirally arranged from the center and t in three rows, and are adapted to register with its particular sight opening 14, as shown in Figure 1, and are for the purpose of registering the total number of strokes or medal play of each player, as will be presently explained.

Referring to Figures 2 and 4, 25 is a bottom plate of the same general shape as the top or face plate 10, with the exception that the sight openings or notches 12 and 14 are omitted,

and is provided on its upper side with two registering disks 26, 26 of the same construction and indices as disks 23, 23, and are rotatably mounted'by means of fixed pins 27, 27, arranged on a different diameter and one at right angles to the diameter on which the disks 23, 23 are disposed, as clearly indicated in Figure 4.

The top or face plate 10, bottom plate 25, with their respective connected registering disks or wheels 21, 23 and 26, are so disposed that said disks 21, 23 and 26 are protected and rotatably supported between said face plate 10 and bottom plate 25 and the innerportions or halves of the two sets of registering disks 23 and 26 are superimposed and overlap each other and each of the registering disks 21 superimpose and overlap an outer section of one of the disks 23 and 26, as clearly shown diagrammatically in Figure 3, and

superimposed and arranged as shown in Figure 5.

In order to carry the scoring device constructed and assembled as herein described, there is provided a thin plate 28 rotatably attached to the under side of the bottom plate 25 by any suitable means, as a pin 29, and said plate 28 is formed with two narrow slots 30, 30 to receive the ends of a strip 31 adapted to be properly adjusted around the wrist of the layer.

T e top or face plate 10, bottom plate 25, rotatable disks 17, 21, 23 and 26 may be made of any suitable fiat thin material, composition, or metal which can be easily stamped out, and I have found celluloid a most desirable material, which is not only light, easily kept clean, but can be stamped out and marked with the necessary designations, numerals, or indices, and assembled at a minimum cost.

The parts having been constructed, arranged and combined, as herein disclosed, the manner of using the same is as follows:

As the players play a hole of the course, the small disks 21 can be moved progressively to keep tally on the number of strokes for said hole for each player. After the hole has been holed out by each player, the total for each player is transferred to his respective registering disk 23 or 26, and the disks 21 are returned to their initial or zero position when the counter is in position to record the next hole. This operation is repeated for the entire number of holes to be played and the pointers 19 can be shifted to indicate or refer to which of the numbers in each disk 23 or 26 the score of the player applies to after the summation of the number of strokes is in excess of the row to which the pointer indicates, as herein shown, and in view of the counter being rotatably mounted on a plate held fixed to the wrist of the left hand of a player, the different registering disks can be quickly brought in position to be roperly ad'usted by the fingers of the right and.

he above operation of the counter is described with reference to medal lay, and if it is desired to record the match play the disk 17 is rotated either clockwise or counter clockwise, dependin on which pla er or side wins the hole, and, dience, it can e quickly and correctly determined at any time the number of holes a player or side is up or down.

From the foregoing disclosure of the con struction and manner of assembling the several parts, a counter of the type indicated has been produced which is capable of registering a maximum number and all the necessary scores of a golf match, and which at the same time has a minimum of weight, thickness and superficial area and can be manufactured and assembled at a low cost.

Furthermore, it will be seen that all the objects and advantages recited in the statement of invention have been fully and efiiciently carried out,'and while I have shown one and the preferred form of the same, it will be understood that many other forms, changes or variations of the face or base plates and rotatable recordin disks will readily suggest themselves wit out in any way de arting from the present invention or evade t e scope of the claim.

What I claim is:

An article of manu r'iacture, a golf scoring device comprisingja substantially square cover late having'at the ends of each of its norma ly arranged diameters and diagonals a sight opening, two rotatable registerin disks with medal play indices and arrange on the inner side of and rotatabl connected with said cover plate, said dis s superimposed and overlapping each other at their inner sides and their indices adapted to register with the sight openings at the ends of one of the diameters of said plate, a rotatable registering disk with stroke play indices and arranged on the inner side of said plate at each end of each'of said diagonals with their indices adapted to register with the sight openings at the ends of said dia onals, a second substantially s uare cover Slate, two rotatable registering isks with medal play indices similar to aforesaid first mentioned disks and arranged on the other diameter at the inner side of and rotatably connected with said second'plate, said last mentioned disks superimposed and overlapping each other at their inner sides, said cover plates surrounding said disks and secured together so that their diameters and diagonals coincide and the indices of the two rotatable disks on one of said cover plates re ister with the sight openings at the ends 0 the diameter of the other cover plate.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

JAMES E. SWARTHOUT. 

